"All this region is very level and full of forests, vines and butternut trees. No Christian has ever visited this land and we had all the misery of the world trying to paddle the river upstream." Samuel de Champlain

The citizens' group Le Comité de Citoyens et Citoyennes pour la Protection de l'Environnement maskoutain (CCCPEM) wants to advise the population, the citizens groups opposed to shale gas exploration, municipal elected officials and the media that the rally planned for this October 25 has been canceled.

Indeed, this rally organized in order to give moral support to elected officials that had to meet Mr Bouchard (Lucien Bouchard is chairman and spokesperson by the Quebec Oil and Gas Association) and Mr Binnion (Michael Binnion is the President and founding shareholder of Questerre Energy), representatives of gas companies, is no longer required since this meeting has been put back to an undetermined future date. The representatives of the gas industry have indeed decided to not meet with the council of mayors has previously planned.

We are of the opinion that the media coverage of the trip of 55 concerned citizens in Pennsylvania this last October 14-15 and 16 has given second thoughts to the gas people. These citizens came back from their trip better informed and very motivated to not let this industry take hold in Quebec. This wave of sympathy would certainly be a main reason for this cancellation.

We thus have proof that citizen's engagement is of great importance in the turn of events during this struggle. Because saving our environmental and social heritage is indeed a battle.

A conference will take place November 9 organized by the DDDPEM in Ste.Rosalie in the Rosalie Papineau community center at 5250 Gérard Côté Street to inform citizens of the ins and outs of this industry, especially after the information acquired during the BAPE hearings in September 2010 and the recent trip in Pennsylvania. Hoping to see you there.

I'm the second generation of my family that lives in Richelieu, Quebec, in Canada. My family tree, both from my mother's and my father's side, has its roots in Quebec since the beginning of the 1600s: my ancestors crossed the ocean from France, leaving Perche and Normandy behind them. Both French AND English are my mother tongues: I learned to talk in both languages when I was a baby, and both my parents were perfectly bilingual too.